Grant Cameron erupted for 21 points as the Worth County Tigers cooled off Northeast Nodaway in their first game of the year with a 57-44 win. Worth County was playing their first game of the year due to participating in the State Football Championships, while Northeast Nodaway, with several kids out who didn’t play football, already had four games, including the Platte Valley Invitational Tournament title, under their belt. But it was Worth County who looked like the team who had games under their belt, while it was Northeast who looked like they were playing their first game.
Northeast led for much of a low scoring first quarter, but Grant Cameron kept Worth County in the game and knotted it up at 6 with his second triple of the night. Aydan Gladstone put Worth County in front, but Colton Swalley cut inside and got a pass from Ben Boswell, and Ben scored the next five to move the Bluejays in front 13-8. But Worth County hung around thanks to nine points in the period from Aydan Gladstone and moved back in front 20-19 before Zach Pride hit a 3-pointer to put Northeast back in front 22-20 at the half.
Northeast was winning the battle of the boards 21-12, but Worth County was taking better care of the ball, surrendering it only 4 times to 10 for the Bluejays.
The Bluejays struggled with their perimeter defense against Christian, giving up 11 3-pointers, but they managed to play through it and win the title game. This time, however, it came back to haunt them. They scored the first basket of the second half to go up four, only for Grant Cameron to shoot the Tigers back into it and knot it up again at 26. Zach Pride hit his second three of the game, only for Aydan Gladstone to answer back and then put the Tigers in front with a pair of free throws at 31-29. Then, after Ben Boswell put the Bluejays back in front 33-31, Grant Cameron connected from distance, Tyler New got a putback, Jackson Runde hit a 3-pointer, and Jackson Smith hit a shot from the baseline to put the Tigers up 41-33 after three.
Northeast fought back to within 41-36 to start the fourth quarter, but then Worth County started firing away from long range again, getting triples from Jackson Runde and Grant Cameron to move back in front 47-38. That opened up driving lanes the rest of the way as Worth County was able to slash to the rim at will, getting the remainder of their points off drives and a putback from Tyler New to pull away for the rest of the game.
Unlike the Christian game, in which the Lions could not find an inside scoring punch to go with their long range shooters, Worth County was able to slash to the rim; they scored 10 three pointers for 30 points and added 20 more off drives, a couple of inside postups from Aydan Gladstone, and a putback from New. And they were able to do what they wanted regardless of whether Northeast was playing man or zone.
Worth County took better care of the ball, surrendering it 11 times to 16 times for Northeast. Northeast won the battle of the boards 34-29. But Worth County’s ball movement was the difference in the game; they had 18 assists to 13 for Northeast.
Grant Cameron had 21 to lead Worth County. Aydan Gladstone had 20; after showing some rust in the first quarter, he got going the rest of the way. Jackson Runde had a double double with 10 points and 10 boards. Tyler New had 4 and Jackson Smith had 2.
Ben Boswell had 17 points for Northeast. Dylan McIntyre had 9, Colton Swalley 7, Zach Pride 6, Lane Dack 4, and Auston Pride 1. Auston Pride had 9 boards.
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